Alumni Gift to Fund New Pediatric Pathology Fellowship at URMC
A $1 million gift from Milton J. Finegold, M.D., an alumnus of the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, will support a new pediatric pathology fellowship.
URMC looks forward to enrolling its first ever pediatric pathology fellow in the fall of 2020.
“Having a fellowship in our institution may help to retain some of our own residents who are interested in this subspecialty,” said Philip Katzman, M.D., a pediatric pathologist at URMC. “The presence of a fellowship program also helps with providing more teaching opportunities in the medical school and in clinical services that the pediatric pathology subspecialty serves,” he said.
Finegold (pictured at right) is a native of New York City. He attended URSMD from 1955-60, during which he completed medical school and a year-out student fellowship. He went on to have a long and successful career as a pediatric pathologist. He is now Professor Emeritus of Pathology & Immunology at Baylor College of Medicine.
His original intention as a trainee was to become a hand surgeon. When he decided surgery wasn’t for him, he was thankful to receive mentorship from UR Pathology faculty, especially from the late chairman, Dr. Lowell Orbison.
Over the course of his training, he developed a passion for learning about how children become ill and how to determine what causes these illnesses.
While at NYU and then Baylor, he served as the director of a pediatric pathology fellowship. Looking back to his own days as a student and fellow, Finegold says that sponsoring this educational opportunity is one way he wants to give back.
“Like anybody in academic medicine, your greatest satisfaction is getting to see the progress of your students,” said Finegold. “It’s wonderful to witness what they become and what they do.”
He noted that pathology is generally low on the list of attractive areas of study, especially for medical students. Pediatric pathology is an even rarer program, forced to compete with more popular subspecialties like forensic pathology or surgical and neuropathology.
“In order to get people interested in pediatric pathology you want to generate an opportunity in the area of children’s disease, and you have to do whatever you can to make it attractive,” said Finegold.
Bruce Smoller, M.D., chairman of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine at URMC, said the gift will expand the department’s offerings for potential trainees.
“This prestigious new fellowship opportunity enhances the range of training opportunities that our department provides, increasing our national visibility and improving what is already a very strong educational program,” said Smoller.
Dr. Finegold lives in Houston with his wife, Jan Goddard-Finegold, MD, and their dachshund, Trixie. They have three children and two grandchildren.
Bethany Bushen | 1/11/2019
